On his three-day trip to Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Vantara animal rescue and rehabilitation center in Jamnagar on Sunday. During this trip to Vantara in Gujarat, he also toured the state-of-the-art elephant hospital - which is said to be the world's largest.
The elephant hospital, set up by the Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust (RKTEWT), can admit and carry out the intensive treatment of three elephants simultaneously.
Vantara is home to more than 2,000 species and over 1.5 lakh rescued, endangered, and threatened animals. The PM closely interacted with various species of animals that have been rehabilitated there.
The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities; the complex is centrally air-conditioned with a treatment arena that contains two operation areas with special rubber flooring, designed to carry out long-hour intensive surgeries on the elephants. The central air-conditioning allows for control of the temperature and humidity inside the treatment arena, which is very important for the healthcare and treatment of sick elephants.
One of the operation areas has a hydraulic platform, which can lift an elephant lying on it up to four feet from the floor level, allowing the operation team to work on different body parts of the elephant for a long duration without a lot of physical discomfort and stress.
In addition, the hospital is equipped with an overhead crane that can carry an elephant to any corner of the treatment arena. This is especially needed when the elephant has a severe leg problem, making it difficult for him/her to move around easily or when the elephant is under anaesthesia.
On one side of the treatment arena is an Elephant Restraint Device (ERD) imported from the USA. This equipment includes separate wall panels on the sides that move on hydraulics and help to restrict the movement of the elephant for medical procedures safely. The elephants are trained with positive reinforcement methods to walk into it and remain inside.
The side walls have different windows which can be opened to work on different body parts of the elephant. Two portable hydraulic platforms are also available on which the medical team can stand with their equipment and can be raised to the height of six feet above the floor level to work on higher elephant body parts such as their back, forehead, etc.
There is an outdoor enclosure attached to the hospital in which an elephant under long-term treatment that needs close monitoring can be housed. This enclosure also has a hydrotherapy pool for arthritic elephants. The enclosure is directly connected to one of the hospital's entrance gates, through which the elephant can be brought to the treatment arena or taken to the ERD through a corridor, causing minimum stress to the elephant.
The hospital is equipped with advanced diagnostic and therapeutic equipment such as a laser therapy machine, thermal camera, portable digital x-ray, therapeutic ultrasound, diagnostic ultrasound, direct and indirect ophthalmoscopes, digital stethoscope, and an endoscopy unit with the only 3.5 meters long colonoscope in the country!
One of the most unique features of this elephant hospital is a video conferencing system that allows the team to do live video conferencing with experts around the world, even during a medical procedure. The system has six different cameras that can be moved around and broadcast separately for video conferencing. These also include one camera on the treatment area roof to cover the whole treatment setup and equipment layout.
The hospital also includes a pharmacy, locker and changing room for the medical team, an equipment storage room, a room for washing, cleaning and autoclaving of the equipment and scrubs, an office for the veterinarians, and a full-fledged diagnostic lab. The lab includes a 7-part haematology analyzer, biochemistry analyzer, urine analyzer, a microscope with an HD camera and screen, and an entire setup for the microscopic examination of biological samples such as blood, faeces, and urine.
Vantara said that the hospital aims to be an ideal training and education centre for veterinarians, biologists, and elephant managers. The treatment arena has a large TV screen that displays images and videos including the x-rays, thermal images, and treatment procedures. The most impressive images and videos displayed on this screen are from the first and only CT scan performed of an Asian elephant's foot! It shows in detail the unique anatomical features of the Asian elephant foot, including the arrangement of the bones and other supporting structures such as muscles and ligaments.
Keeping in mind the educational aspect, an auditorium with a 200-seating capacity has been set up next to the Elephant Hospital. The big screen in this auditorium will be connected to the video conferencing system so that the audience can watch the live procedure being carried out in the treatment area. They will also be able to communicate with the medical team doing the procedure.
"Everyone involved with Vantara is aware that this is going to be a long journey, for us and all the captive animals housed here. And while their past might have been traumatic and far from perfect, at Vantara our mission is to provide them with a life that is close to perfect," said Anant Ambani. "Though we will always remain indebted to the wild for Sustaining us, maybe by serving them now we begin a new era of empathy. Here's wishing them a great life. Now, and in the next."
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